10 Greatest Mastodon Riffs

When it comes to 21st century metal, no band has done it better than Mastodon. In the great metal songwriting tradition, Mastodon have embraced the power of the riff, writing some of the most powerful guitar parts in modern music.

Few guitar duos can match the heavy footprints of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher. With seven albums released since 2002, Mastodon have yet to disappoint fans, crafting monstrous riffs for each record. We tried to represent Mastodon’s full career in this Loud List, starting from the raw years of Remission. You’ll find multiple songs from Mastodon’s debut on this list, including the devastating “March of the Fire Ants.”

When Mastodon entered their Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye era, it was like Brent and Bill had been feeding hallucinogens to their guitars. Mastodon’s music became endlessly more expansive, with the lead riffs for songs like “Sleeping Giant” and “Divinations” opening new worlds for the band to explore. Much of this period’s weirdness can be traced back to Brent Hinds’ affinity for banjo-style picking and riffing, which he somehow brought to his six-string and made extremely heavy.

In the 2010s, Mastodon kept a few trippy elements while bringing it back to basics, such as the standout single “Black Tongue” from The Hunter. “Black Tongue” is maybe the most Iommi-like riff in Mastodon’s collection, using simple chords and heavy hands to pummel listeners.

Check out our picks for the 10 Greatest Mastodon Riffs in the Loud List above!